50 Cent Joins Fight To Save Cancer-Stricken Broadway Star

The rapper/actor has joined R&B songbirds Rihanna and Alicia Keys as the latest celebrity to step forward and register with DKMS Bone Marrow Donor Center after learning of the plight of a shining 11-year-old Broadway babe.

Shannon Tavarez, 11, is in the fight of her life after being diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year. If you’re a fan of great theater, you may have caught Shannon’s performance as Young Nala in Broadway’s Tony-winning performance of The Lion King. .

She desperately needs a bone marrow transplant in order to survive. People of color are underrepresented in such registries and Shannon — who is Latina and African-American — is having a difficult time finding another minority to serve as a donor.

As a dad, 50 was especially moved by Shannon’s health struggle.

“My son is just a couple years older than Shannon and I can’t imagine if his life was needlessly cut short when there is someone out there that could save him,” the “In Da Club” star said in a statement.

“Shannon’s chances of finding a matching donor are slim because she’s African American and Dominican and minorities are underrepresented in the national registry,” 50 explained. “Everyone, regardless of their race or ethnicity deserves a fair chance at life. Registering to become a bone marrow donor starts with a cheek swab but it’s more than that. It’s a commitment to save a life.”

DKMS is the largest bone-marrow donor center in the world with more than 2 million registered donors. To sign up as a bone marrow donor, visit GetSwabbed.org.